Okra and eggplant among summer farm-to-table favorites in Florida

DENISE O'TOOLE KELLYFOOD EDITOR

Wednesday

Jul 24, 2013 at 12:01 AM

This can be a trying time of the year for Floridians who try to stick with locally sourced vegetables and fruits; it takes a resilient variety of produce to thrive in the conditions the climate dishes out in late July and August.

This can be a trying time of the year for Floridians who try to stick with locally sourced vegetables and fruits; it takes a resilient variety of produce to thrive in the conditions the climate dishes out in late July and August.

There are, however, a number of heat-hearty offerings coming from growers in Florida and nearby states. "Our farmers are growing field peas and butter beans," said Nicole Lebron, who with her father, Jan Pittard, owns and operates Front Porch Pickings, a service that delivers local and organic produce to households in Volusia, Flagler and St. Johns counties. Lebron, who spoke by phone while surveying the produce she had acquired for the baskets to be distributed to customers last week, said the legumes are grown in the summer as a cover crop to help manage soil fertility during a time fields might otherwise be idle. The table from which Lebron was preparing her deliveries also included eggplant, bell peppers, okra, melons and yellow squash from nearby fields, mangoes and avocados from South Florida and peaches from South Carolina. A couple of weeks ago her bounty included callaloo, a Caribbean native of which she said she plans to ask her Florida suppliers to plant more. "It's one of the few leafy greens that will grow in the hot, humid, environment," she said. "I know a lot of the time they say everything tastes like spinach, but this one really does."

With the possible exception of the callaloo, a similar selection of close-to-home produce should be available at local farmers markets, so today's section includes some recipes for inspiration. Orange-Scented Eggplant and Couscous Rolls were described by their creator — Jim Romanoff of The Associated Press — as "light, in-season and make-ahead ... the trifecta for the perfect summer supper. Picking up some fresh-from-Florida okra would be well in tune with the spirit of Cooking Light's "Pick Fresh Cookbook," the source of the recipe for Stewed Okra with Tomatoes and Bacon. The other main ingredient, however, will probably have to come from outside the state this time of year. "It's going to be hard to get Florida tomatoes right now," Lebron said.

Stewed Okra With Tomatoes and Bacon

From Cook Light's "Pick Fresh Cookbook," Oxmoor House, 2013; serves 8

2 bacon slices

1 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

4 cups sliced fresh okra (about 1 pound)

2 cups chopped tomato

1/2 cup water

1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons dripping in pan. Crumble bacon. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic to drippings in pan, and saute 5 minutes or until tender. Add okra and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until okra is tender. Sprinkle with bacon.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. You may need 2 baking sheets. Trim both ends of the eggplant. Standing the eggplant on end, slice it lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Discard the end slices of skin. Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets and brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bake until lightly browned on the undersides, about 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and continue baking until the second sides are lightly browned and the flesh is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes longer. Meanwhile, to make the filling, grate the zest of half an orange, then juice both oranges. Transfer the zest and juice to a medium saucepan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, the apple-cider vinegar, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the water. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous and remove the pan from the heat. Cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork, then let cool. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the feta and 3 tablespoons of the parsley. Season with pepper. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place about 1/4 cup of the couscous mixture at one end of each eggplant slice. Pressing with your fingers to compact the filling, roll up each slice and transfer them, seam-side down, to the prepared dish. In a small saucepan, heat the marinara sauce until warm. Drizzle the marinara sauce over the rolls. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the rolls are heated through and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining feta and parsley just before serving. Note: The rolls can be prepared up to two days in advance, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated. When ready to serve, remove the plastic, drizzle with marinara sauce and bake until heated through.